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How cold is the water in April? I have a 3/2 full wetsuit and booties and want to start up surfing again in April without having to get a new wetsuit.

Thoughts?

Depends where you are. I'm generally in a 4/3 until mid-May / June. If you have a sealed 3/2 and you're a little farther south you could be fine.

Summer or winter...tough call. There is so little time (daylight) to surf in winter, yet the waves are huge. In the summer you have plenty of daylight, but last summer we seriously had no waves for two months up here. For surfing, winter is better. For overall quality of life, fun and happiness...you can't beat summer near the Ocean. I love all the pale Maine chicks frolicking on the beach with their REI flip flops and North Face baseball caps.

I'm a teacher so I love summer! Surf early and surf late, Kayak and fish or crab in between. It may not be epic swell conditions but It's great to be able to have the board or boards out all day. I'll set up and have a couple of boards and a couple of sponges available. It's never super crowded. Maybe 4th of July...

When I was young and in school I loved it. Warm weather and long days, and on the east coast you can typically trunk it come late June/early July. But as others said, at the expense of crowds and consistently flat to waist high conditions, it's sometimes not worth what you gain as an adult who has to work year-round. Give it a few years, you'll see.

Once you start going out in the off season, you realize that for the small price of a little body heat and comfort you can get consistently heavy swell for days and even weeks on end. Cold weather also serves well to thin out the herd.

All in all though, happiness is perspective. I had a blast surfing in summer time when I was young and I'm glad I saw it that way. Lots of good memories. So enjoy it for as long as you can.

During the summer and early fall here in VB, I can squeeze in 3 sessions a day if I'm so inclined. No wet suits to deal with. Often the surf isn't much, but getting out on the water at noontime for an hour is much better than eating lunch at one's desk. I work for the Navy at Dam Neck, which is right on the water (lucky guy). On more than a few occasions I've had to sneak back to the office and get to a meeting with a wet beard, no socks, and sand still on my feet. I'm 58, should/do know better, and sometimes feel like a kid sneaking into class. Those early morning sessions with glassy conditions and offshore breezes before going to work are often the best time of the day during the summer.

Summah. No question. Tail is advertising itself everywhere. All the fish markets are open and I can eat pounds per day. Rip the Carver day and night and then some more. If there's no swell at the home break then drive a few hours to Rhodey to catch a solid S swell or save pennies to get on a plane. I truly think there's no way we are going hitless two summahs in a row with canes. Expect big things in 2014. So, so much tail in the summah. Tail everywhere. Even for you wedded folk, tail all around is good for the bloodstream, eyesight and your general health.